I wore Mi for the first time when she was 25 days old (yes, less than a month). Together, me and my husband tried a ring sling, SSC (soft structured carrier) and Moby Wrap. I was amazed at how lightweight my baby felt in a ring sling and it soon became my favourite newborn carrier for the early months. I feel every mom must be introduced to the world of babywearing from the 8th or 9th month of their pregnancy or right after delivery. Wearing my baby in a ring sling gave me a lot of freedom and peace of mind so I decided to write a Ring Sling Tutorial for all the new moms out there. (In fact, I got inspired to get this blogpost together when a fellow mommy of fb wanted to know about ring sling for newborns and how to use a ring sling with a 3 month old.)

MOTHERS’ DAY SURPRISE FROM COOKIIE PIE CO BELOW. SCROLL DOWN.

How soon can you start using a ring sling?

You can start using a ring sling from the day your baby is born !

How to use a ring sling with a newborn?

I’m not able to do vlogging right now being alone a 7 month old so I scoured the videos and this ring sling tutorial on how to use a baby sling for newborn by wrapping Rachel is the one I would suggest you follow for an infant. She is wearing the baby is a front carry chest to chest position. The video below is also for a newborn but slightly older. When babies are slightly older, you need some practice to make sure that the rings stay just below your shoulders and don’t slip down because that will not be comfortable for either you or the baby.

Also see how to adjust the rings in the ring sling tutorial below:

Things to keep in mind while wearing your infant or newborn in a ring sling:

1. Make a deep seat – This is the most important aspect of wearing your baby correctly in a ring sling. A deep seat refers to the way the baby sits on the bottom part of the fabric that takes all the weight of the baby. This fabric hugs the baby’s bottom and comes upto the knee to make the baby secure and legs in ‘M’ position. A deep seat ensures that a baby never falls or slides down. If you are unable to make a deep seat with the ring sling tutorial above, try bunching up the fabric and making the baby sit on it. The ring sling tutorial below will guide you:

2. Position of Legs – All ergonomic carriers are designed in such a way that when you wear your baby correctly, their legs form an ‘M’ shape hugging your middle. This position is the most comfortable for both mom and baby and prevents hip dysplasia.

3. Making sure your baby’s airways/nose is clear to breathe – The baby’s head rests on you when you wear your baby and many times and baby will keep moving their head or shift positions. Keep checking to make sure that the baby’s airways are clear and there is no risk of suffocation. This is something that will happen automatically as the baby is right under your nose ! Enjoy this closeness with your baby while you can.

4. Spread the fabric on your shoulder – Many moms forget about their own comfort and I believe that a mom can’t give her 100% to the baby if she’s not feeling so good herself ! And this applies here as well. Make sure that you spread the ring sling fabric evenly across your shoulder so that the weight is distributed and you are able to carry your newborn comfortably.

How to thread a ring sling

Are there any other Ring sling carry positions?

Yes there are more ring sling carry positions depending on the age of your baby.

For newborns the front carry chest to chest position is suggested as shown in the ring sling tutorial above.

You can try the snug tummy to tummy feet in position in your ring sling. The baby might feel a bit warm in this position though, as the feet are in. Here is the ring sling tutorial to follow for this position:

The other position you can try for really young infants (aged below 3 months) in the Ring Sling newborn Cradle Carry position where the newborn’s legs are inside the ring sling.

The other positions for older babies are:

Hip Carry – There is no real hip carry age but as a thumb rule, you can try the ring sling hip carry position when you naturally start holding your baby at your hip. Yes, just follow your instincts ! For most mothers, this age should be around 7-9 months.

Back Carry – Back carrying in a ring sling is for children above 1 year old and is relatively difficult style to master. For back carrying, most mothers prefer an onbuhimo, mei tai (mei dei) or an SSC. Should you need more details about this, please write in the comment section below.

Ring Sling Tutorial for newborn cradle carry position

This ring sling tutorial is for the cradle carry position to be used for babies less than 3 months old or very small babies. This is very useful for babies who like to be rocked to sleep in a cradle position. After you have chosen and mastered your ring sling style, we will move onto a tutorial for NIP (nursing in public) wearing a ring sling. Being able to nurse in public is also as liberating as babywearing maybe much more. I nursed my baby on a table of 6 people the second time I wore her in a ring sling at Social in Bangalore. If I could do it, I’m sure you can too !

If you liked this post or if there is anything else, you would like to know, please let me know in the comments below.

Mother's Day Offer

This May, I have collaborated with Cookiie Pie Co whose rings slings I love so much. There are lots of discounts and paytm cash to be won this month !